Faculty with the NC State College of Education are transforming the field of educational psychology through unique conceptual and methodological approaches to the study of race and culture, with focuses on school climate, issues related to student engagement and motivation and cross-disciplinary applications of the work beyond educational psychology.

STUDYING HOW RACIAL ISSUES IMPACT BELONGING AND MOTIVATION

DeLeon Gray: ‘The Concept of Belonging is So Fundamentally Human It Has the Potential of Serving as the Connective Tissue Among All of Us’

Through his research, DeLeon Gray, Ph.D., is helping students to feel a sense of belonging in school and inspiring teachers to grow their knowledge by pursuing advanced degrees.

Meet Dr. Gray

Christy Byrd: ‘When You’re Learning About Yourself at School, That Makes School Seem Relevant to Your Life’

After developing and validating the School Climate for Diversity Scale, Christy Byrd has been studying the relationship between school climate and students’ racial identity.

Meet Dr. Byrd

Jessica DeCuir-Gunby: ‘I Thought it Was Really Great that We Were Able to Provide a Tool for So Many People’

As a graduate student, many suggested to Jessica DeCuir-Gunby, Ph.D., that studying Black students’ experiences with race and racism would be difficult. Now, her work on the subject has been cited thousands of times.

Meet Dr. DeCuir-Gunby

BRINGING AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE TO EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

John Nietfeld: ‘It’s Hard to Explain All the Things You Gain from Interactions with All These Different People’

With almost as many international collaborators as domestic ones, John Nietfeld, Ph.D., brings an international approach to his work in metacognition and has inspired several international students to come to NC State.

Meet Dr. Nietfeld

Margareta Thomson: ‘Providing Students with Opportunities in Various Aspects of Global Learning is a Great Benefit for Them’

From her work with North Carolina educators to her time as a Fulbright Scholar in Romania, Margareta Thomson has been committed to understanding how to motivate teachers and students

Meet Dr. Thomson

“NC State’s Educational Psychology program is unique in that it has the most professors I have ever seen in Educational Psychology addressing issues like motivation from a racial and cultural perspective.”

Joanna Ali ’24PHD

Doctoral Student in the Educational Psychology Program

Nationally Recognized Faculty

Over the past few years, faculty in the College of Education’s Educational Psychology program have received several honors and awards from local and national organizations.

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Educational Psychology UPdates

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March 25, 2026

Belk Center, #PassTheMicYouth Named Recipients of NC State’s Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award

The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research and #PassTheMicYouth have been named dual recipients of the award, which is presented by NC State’s Office of Outreach and Engagement in recognition of exemplary community-engaged scholarship and outreach that advances the university’s land-grant mission by addressing the needs of communities across North Carolina.

March 24, 2026

EducationWeek: We All Agree Student Voice Matters. But What Do You Actually Do With It?

Student “voice” means encouraging students to share their thoughts in a class discussion. It also means teachers take students’ opinions about class structure, public policy, and the design of assignments seriously.

January 27, 2026

Associate Professor DeLeon Gray Positions Organic Intellectuals as Experts through Collaboration on Special Journal Series

NC State College of Education Associate Professor of Educational Psychology DeLeon Gray, alongside Monash University Associate Professor Kelly-Ann Allen, is looking to change the definition of scholarship to extend beyond just those with advanced degrees and formal academic training.